Gold has always been a metal that is highly valued throughout history. Gold was discovered centuries ago and has been adored for thousands of years. If you are interested in investing in gold, the following tips will get you off to the right start.

Get several opinions about the value of your gold from a handful of dealers at a minimum. There are a large number of venues for selling your gold, and they all use different metrics to decide on price. Getting multiple offers allows you make sure that you receive a fair price.

When you decide to sell gold, you should get a few sources to give you an estimated value. A lot of services and jewelry stores are out there, and they will usually vary in how much they profit. If you’re able to work with a couple of different places, you can see if you’re getting the best deal.

Research any gold buyers and shop around for a reputable buyer.

Before you buy gold, make sure you have a firm delivery commitment from the seller. If the person selling you the gold does not deliver the product right away, get something in writing which confirms delivery of your pieces. The expected delivery date of arrival should be provided. Don’t go through an order anything without this document.

Think about selling gold on the Internet. There’s no reason to confine yourself to brick-and-mortar stores when selling your gold. There are plenty of websites out there you can use to sell all your gold. The website will send special kits where you are to return your gold items. They will pay you once you send the gold in.

The IRS has to approve the gold that you receive. Bars typically are more valuable than the coins.

Only buy gold jewelry from a seller if they have a return it. If that should occur, you need to return it for a complete refund.

If you’re not sure about the value of your jewelry, you can have an appraisal done. This will cost a little money up front, but it’s important to know what you have. An independent appraiser should be used in order to receive the best value. Even if you still choose to sell, do know that you aren’t going to get the appraised value.

Pawn brokers and many private sellers may just want to pay the melt value.

While buying gold is extremely exciting, don’t tell everyone about it. You never know who might overhear your conversation and who is truly trustworthy. Make sure you keep your gold investments to yourself and kept safe. This will ensure your gold protected under any circumstances.

GoldMoney could be a good resource when you want to buy gold. This is the equivalent of establishing a gold bank account. After creating an account and depositing your money, you are allowed a corresponding amount of gold, which is then linked to your new account. The gold will physically sit in the bank where you can cash it, portion it, or in some circumstances, you can redeem it for gold bullion bars that weigh a kilo.

Use a magnet to test inexpensive jewelry to determine if an item is made of gold. Precious metals do not going to be attracted to a magnet. Sometimes only plated in gold with a solid gold clasp. This is a useful method of testing for that.

Have jewelry appraised before selling it as scrap gold. This rings true with pieces that have intricate workmanship and details. You may have to pay for the appraisal, but it might bring you profit eventually. An appraiser might even be able to help you a good price for your special item.

Be cautious with the gold market. There are always a few bad apples in every market, and players in the gold market are no exception. Many people would like to take advantage of your lack of knowledge on gold. You need to exercise caution and do your research.

Many times the backs of earrings are solid gold, even when the actual earring is not solid. Necklace clasps and ring bands are usually real gold too. You can sell these smaller pieces together to get more money. You may get more money if you put them all together.

Before doing business with an gold dealer, contact your local Better Business Bureau. You may find out about complaints and customer reviews. Pay close attention to complaints and see if they’ve been resolved. If they have a ton of complaints or many that are unresolved, think about moving on.

To verify that a particular piece of jewelry isn’t simply plated, you can try testing it yourself with a magnet. True precious metals such as gold will not stick to the magnet. Sometimes you’ll find a clasp to be something solid, but everything else is plated. A magnet can help test jewelry quickly.

Gold Dealer

Research a gold dealer before doing business with them. If you find complaints, look elsewhere for a gold dealer.

Check with the BBB before you sell gold to a dealer, jewelry store, gold buyer, etc. You may find complaints that have been listed by the customers who feel slighted. Look at the complaints to see whether or not they were resolved. If you see many complaints, then you need to find another business.

Gold prices have increased by over 400 percent in the last decade. The weaker the dollar is, the stronger the gold price.

Know what your investment goals are before you invest money in gold. Gold investing can be volatile; however, it can be good insurance against inflation. By setting goals and limiting your involvement, your chances of making money increase.

Sending your gold away via postal mail is one option for selling it. A lot of people who sell gold prefer this simple option. They send you a prepaid envelope, which you then turnaround and send your jewelry to them to get your check back later. These companies won’t pay the same amount for gold as others though. Sometimes you’ll find that people are only willing to give you 30 percent less of what an item’s worth, so watch out.

Make sure that your gold investments are investing in gold. Gold does not bring income to the table like stocks do. The price tends to fluctuate a lot in the gold is also extremely volatile.When equities are devalued that is when you get a rise in value. You shouldn’t invest no more than 5% of your investment portfolio in gold.

Gold is not one of those investments that can time. You should instead think of it more along the lines of wealth insurance. If you want to attempt to time your investing, buy when the gold market is quiet. Gold shortages are common when the economy.

Gold is a very lucrative but volatile investment. If you cannot handle sharp price swings, this investment is not for you. Even if you’re ready to get into these choppy seas, take steps to limit your risk. Because of the volatile market, only a small amount of your portfolio should be invested in the gold market. Five percent is often touted as an advised cap.

Gold remains remarkably popular throughout all market conditions. You can still earn profits even when the market goes in.

Higher karat jewelry usually is worth more than lower karat gold pieces. Make sure to separate the items before you carefully inspect each piece and put it with similar items.

In order to become a great trader, you need to learn how gold is tested. Purity is rated in karats. As the number increases, the purity does as well. You cannot just go by the karat stamp. If you know how to test gold’s purity, you will never be overcharged.

A good website to find the true value of gold price is www.goldprice.org.

If you wish to sell items through mail services, make sure the package is insured. Many companies will limit liability that can be assigned to them for your lost items.

You can often find a good price on gold by purchasing old gold jewelry from relatives. Get a decent jewelry scale to weigh your gold. Your relatives can earn more than a pawn shop and you still make some money.

Don’t buy gold selling at high premium.Look for low premiums so you can make a good return back.

Always insure a package of gold that you’re sending through the mail. While you may receive a pre-paid mailer, you can’t be certain. Insure any package yourself so you can get some money back if there is an issue.

Assess your objectives prior to investing in gold. Gold can, for instance, be a good way to keep your savings from being impacted by inflation, but its value can also be volatile. If you educate yourself on the gold market and have a game plan going in, you have a good chance at being successful.

After reading this article you should be better educated in the investment of gold. Gold is a great investment that’s beautiful to look at and wear. Use these tips and invest in gold right way.